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Plenty of folks these days say they eat local. Mairlyn Smith eats Canadian. And she’s encouraging everyone to draw on national pride when it comes to putting food on their plates.

Homegrown: Celebrating the Canadian Foods We Grow, Raise and Produce is a collaborative book of recipes from Smith and members of the Ontario Home Economics Association, starring the country’s cheeses, grains, root vegetables, eggs, seafood, beef, fruit and, of course, maple syrup.

The book: Canada is a big place and Homegrown, $39.95, covers its cuisine from coast to coast to coast in 400 pages. Recipes are labelled according to season and include nutritional content. There are also suggested menus and primers on favourite Canadian ingredients, from wheat to cheddar.

The author: No doubt it helps to have a sense of humour when coordinating a huge collection of recipes and a pile of contributors. Smith is a rare mix of home economist and comic, an alumnus of the Second City Comedy Troupe who has laughed her way through six previous cookbooks and regular public appearances.

Anyone who’s ever turned their back on Brussels sprouts should try this colourful recipe, adapted from Homegrown. It’s a snap to make, looks beautiful on the plate and the sweetness of the maple dressing on the roasted vegetables complements the tartness of the cranberries.

4 cups (1L) Brussels sprouts, bottoms trimmed, cut in half

2/3 cup (160 mL) fresh or frozen cranberries

2 tbsp (30 mL) canola oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Dressing:

1 tsp (5 mL) whole grain Dijon mustard

2 tbsp (30 mL) pure maple syrup

1 tbsp (15 mL) apple cider vinegar

Place Brussels sprouts and cranberries on rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment. Drizzle with oil, season lightly with salt and pepper and toss gently to coat.

Bake in preheated 375F (190C) oven 30 to 40 minutes or until Brussels sprouts are browning and tender and cranberries are soft. Shake pan periodically.

In a large bowl, whisk together mustard, maple syrup and cider. Add cooked Brussels sprouts and cranberries and toss until coated.

Serves 8.

WINE PAIRING:

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries

with Georges DuBoeuf 2012 Beaujolais

(Burgundy, France) #212480 $12.95

Score 89

Roasted Brussels sprouts with cranberries tossed in a maple syrup-sweetened vinaigrette can wreak havoc on a wine. The vegetable can overpower many bottles, while the syrup and vinegar can put certain styles off-balance. But Georges DuBoeuf’s 2012 Beaujolais works quite well with the recipe. The cranberry and dried herbal character of this light, fruity red from France mirrors the flavours of the dish, while the bright, affable style makes it one of the most versatile and food-friendly wines on the planet. Serve this bottle with roasted Brussels sprouts with cranberries alongside fish, foul or meat and it remains a perfect pour. Georges DuBoeuf is a large, reliable producer of Beaujolais, making consistently delicious juice vintage after vintage. Frankly, if it wasn’t for the fine quality winemaking at play, this bottle would not be drinking so well now — three years after vintage — because Beaujolais is generally a style meant to be drunk within a year or two of vintage.

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